At the recently concluded Catholic Mass Media Awards, Gilbert Daroy of the Philippine Daily Inquirer took home a prize. His name may not exactly ring a bell, but that’s because he doesn’t write for the paper. He’s not even an editor.
Gilbert Daroy is one of only two editorial cartoonists on rotation at the paper. His sometimes scary, often funny, always truthful ballpoint drawings appear on the opinions page every Wednesday and Friday. He’s been adding a much-needed breather—not to mention humor—to an otherwise text-heavy opinions page for about 14 long years now. Prior to this gig, Gilbert was an animator at Walt Disney Television.
For his “New Pope” illustration, Gilbert won the Best Editorial Cartoon prize from the CMMA last Thursday. In case you didn’t know: he only competed against himself.
Of course, we had to ask him what goes on between his ears. Because you know, how do you become an editorial cartoonist?
So how did you become an editorial cartoonist?
Even as a kid, I’ve always wanted to be a political cartoonist. I was an animator for 15 years and the tedium inhere in animation—you have to do hundreds of drawings per scene—was taking its toll. I created a portfolio specifically to show newspapers art directors and like a kakanin vendor, peddled my wares before them. The Inquirer took me in after a short sting with Today newspaper.
What’s the process like?
Fortunately, I have the option to base it on the paper’s editorial, or choose my own topic as long as the story is featured in PDI. I read the editorials or the stories the day before, do tentative sketches, and let the topic percolate overnight. The morning after, I start doing the final drawing.
So where you do look first, when making a cartoon?
The more data I have on the story, the better. So I read the current stories available including blogs in social media, which are far often more revealing and exhaustive. I pick on the salient points and distill it into basic understandable visual equivalents.
You’ve just won the best editorial cartoon in CMMA (Congrats!) What was your editorial lead for ‘The New Pope’?
The newly-elected Pope didn’t spare rhetoric in promising to lean up the accumulated doldrums of the Vatican that included subterranean politics among the Cardinals with regard to the Vatican’s governance, financial policies, sexual scandals, etc.
Ever gotten in trouble—gotten sued, been asked to apologize?
I haven’t been sued, but I’ve been reprimanded by my editors for cartoons based on shaky ‘journalistic’ stories. In our society, political/editorial cartoonists are regarded by their targets (the politicians, etc) as jesters who, beneath the humor and satire, present a nugget of truth about an issue. To feel ‘offended’ is to act beneath their stature. We are often brushed off as a nuisance (like a mosquito bite) more than a real threat.
Well, would you rather they took you more seriously?
I prefer that the politicos view us as watchdogs. If they feel threatened, then they must be up to no good.
Is there a copout/surefire way of going about a portrait?
No copouts doing portraits. You either get it or you don’t. But that doesn’t mean you don’t want to trace back your steps and change some aspects of the portrait.
How about an equivalent of ‘writers’ block’?
We also have an artist’s block that for some fortunate reason, dissipates quickly as the deadline approaches, ha ha ha!
You were once an animator for Walt Disney Television. How the same/different is that gig from your current one?
My background in animation is a tremendous help in visualizing figures in all angles and poses, eliciting what ounce of humor I could squeeze from the topic, and effective layout of the cartoon as a whole.
What does it take to become an editorial cartoonist?
I’ve read somewhere that you don’t have to be a good artist to be a good editorial cartoonist. An analytical approach to issues is a must. A visually analytical and hopefully humorous solution is a bonus. Drawing skills (for me) is fundamental.
Any hard rules you live by, doing what you do?
Because of the web, there is no excuse for an artist not to better his/her craft. The talent outside our shores is unbelievable. I’m constantly inspired by the high level of artistry/ideas on the web. Hard rules? Every day, sharpen the axe.
Best advice you’ve been given?
Read, think critically, and draw!
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